Wash. agency bans caffeinated alcohol drinks

OLYMPIA, Wash. ---- The Washington state Liquor Control Board on
Wednesday approved an emergency ban of caffeinated alcohol drinks,
the type of beverage that sickened nine Central Washington
University students last month during an off-campus party.

Board members said they took the action because of public health
and safety concerns. The ban will take effect Nov. 18 and remain in
place for 120 days while the board goes through rule-making
procedures for a permanent ban. The state Legislature also is
expected to consider passing a law early next year banning the
drinks.

"We have been concerned for some time about the dangers posed by
alcohol energy drinks. At my request, the board this morning voted
to ban this new breed of alcohol drinks in the state of
Washington," Gov. Chris Gregoire said at a news conference after
the vote. "The Liquor Control Board has a duty to protect the
safety of the people of Washington state. It has fulfilled that
duty by banning these drinks."

Gregoire said she had been concerned that caffeinated alcohol
drinks were targeting young people.

"Reports of inexperienced or underage drinkers consuming them in
reckless amounts have given us cause for concern," she said. "With
hospitalizations and near-lethal blood alcohol levels, many of
these young folks were unaware just how drunk they had become. ...
Quite simply, these drinks are real trouble for our youth."

The six women and three men who became sick at the Oct. 8 house
party in Roslyn, Kittitas County, had consumed Four Loko, a product
some people have dubbed "blackout in a can." It is among some two
dozen such products on the market that combine a stimulant with
alcohol.

All of the students who became ill were under 21 and had high
blood-alcohol readings. One woman nearly died, officials said,
noting that consuming a single, 23.5-ounce can of Four Loko, which
is 12 percent alcohol, is considered comparable to drinking five or
six beers.

Since the incident, various groceries across the state have
pulled caffeinated alcohol products from their shelves.

Jim Halstrom, a lobbyist for Phusion Projects, the maker of Four
Loko, objected to the action during the board meeting.

"No one is more upset than we are when our products are abused
or consumed illegally by underage drinkers. But we also believe
curbing alcohol abuse or underage drinking will not be accomplished
by singling out a lone product or beverage category," he said. "We
think the true answer lies with increased education and awareness
by all and with respect for the law."

After the meeting, Halstrom said, "We're concerned about the
haste with which this was addressed. We understand that much of the
impetus for this came out of the Roslyn event. What we have seen
from the police reports ... our product was not identified as at
fault.

"I'm not saying our product was not consumed. I'm saying we're
not at all sure that our product was the one that created the
significant problems," he said, referring to the students becoming
ill.

This month, the Michigan Liquor Control Commission banned Four
Loko and dozens of similar drinks.

Last year, 25 state attorneys general, including Washington
state Attorney General McKenna, asked the Food and Drug
Administration to examine the beverages. Washington state liquor
stores do not carry the products, but many convenience stores do,
according to the state Liquor Control Board.

Critics say the hefty dose of caffeine in the drinks masks the
effects of the alcohol.

Makers of the products counter that combining alcohol and
caffeine is not new. Fans of the beverages compare them to
cocktails such as Irish coffee, rum-and-cola and vodka-and-Red
Bull, all of which combine alcohol and a stimulant.

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